Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler, 2008 costumes by Amy Westcott. Costume plays a strong role in the film, not only in the masquerade of the wrestling ring but also in defining the character's working class aesthetic in daily life and on the job.
_28.jpg)
Costumes transform recognizable stars into specific roles, Audrey Hepburn, My Fair Lady, 1964
Batman Begins, 2005 with Christian Bale designed by Lindy Hemming
Classic characterization will overcome the recognizability of a celebrity as in Bale above. However when an actor plays a costume driven character early in his or her career the actor is often type cast, always linked to the particular costume aesthetic.
Orlando Bloom Lord of the Rings, Rob Patterson Twilight and Richard Hamill Star Wars
Costume and characterization is most apparent in comedies. Above Will Ferrell and below Sacha Baron Cohen depend on costume to complete the full picture of their characters.
